The Shape of Night (1964): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1964, The Shape of Night is an action, drama and crime film directed by Noboru Nakamura, running about 109 minutes.

What it’s about. Yoshie Nogami, a factory worker by day, moonlights as a hostess at a bar. One of the regulars, Eiji Kitami, invites her out on a date. Still only 19, she goes along out of curiosity and ends up spending the night at a hotel where she gives herself to him. They begin a passionate love affair and move in together, after which Yoshie begins skipping work at the factory and rarely returns to her family home. Before long, Eiji’s demeanor changes and he begins to constantly ask her for money. Despite claiming to be a businessman, he is actually a local thug, and his inability to pay his dues to his gang leads him to force Yoshie into prostitution.

Who’s in it. The Shape of Night stars Miyuki Kuwano as Yoshie Nomoto, Mikijiro Hira as Eiji Kitami, Keisuke Sonoi as Hiroshi Fujii and Masuyo Iwamoto as Machiko Kosugi, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.2/10, The Shape of Night has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Eternal Family and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Shape of Night page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Shape of Night tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.